Conventional semiconductor lasers are based on band-band transitions within a p-n- junction and are inherently limited in the maximal attainable emission wavelength. In contrast, for unipolar laser devices, i.e., lasers based on the injection of one type of carrier, no comparable long wavelength limit exists. The operating principle of a unipolar laser is based on the possibility of amplifying an electromagnetic wave in a semiconductor structure containing a superlattice, as described in 1971 by Kazarinov and Suris. Kazarinov and Suris disclose a coherent IR source based on intersubband transitions in quantum wells and tunnelling injection cascading through many identical stages for multiple photon generation. First laser operation based on this principle was demonstrated in 1994 by scientists working at Bell Labs who pointed out an inherent characteristic of unipolar lasers. That is, a unipolar laser comprises a multilayer semiconductor structure containing doped semiconducting material of only a single conductivity type, thereby producing laser emissions with only one type of carrier (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,709, col. 2, lines 24-32, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,025, col. 2, lines 29-37). First laser operation based on this principle was demonstrated in 1994 by scientists working at Bell Labs.
A unipolar laser consists of an active region sandwiched in an optical waveguide structure. The active region consists of a plurality of nominal identical stages for multiple photon generation and is designed to emit at a wavelength λ. The optical waveguide structure consists of lower and upper guiding layers with relatively high refractive index sandwiched between lower and upper cladding layers with relatively small refractive index. The active region is sandwiched between the lower and upper guiding layers. The generated optical radiation is thereby guided within the higher-index guiding layers.
For many applications, for example sensing or spectroscopy, single-mode laser emission is very advantageous. In a DFB (distributed feedback) unipolar laser, only laser radiation with one specific longitudinal laser mode is emitted while other modes are suppressed by a periodic lattice. The standard DFB unipolar laser uses a periodic lattice with a certain period in order to achieve laser emission at the desired fixed wavelength. Tuning of the emission wavelength in conventional DFB unipolar lasers is possible by variation of the injection current or the temperature of the laser, but typically only over a very limited spectral range. Thus, conventional DFB unipolar lasers exhibit a narrow linewidth as advantageous for sensing and other applications, but the wavelength tunability is limited.
For many applications, such as spectroscopy, a broader wavelength tuning range would be desirable. Pursuant to some embodiments of the present invention, a wider tuning range is achieved by using unipolar lasers that include several cavity segments. In some embodiments, each of the segments includes a specially designed lattice structure. In some embodiments, one or more of the cavity segments are fabricated without gratings. Typically, each cavity segment is provided with a contact, which allows for control of the drive current of this cavity segment independent from that of the other segments. Tuning of the device is typically accomplished by changing the ratio of the currents through the cavity segments of the laser and by changing the device temperature. In addition to tunable unipolar laser devices, the present invention also relates to materials and methods of fabricating such devices.